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Nescopeck Township approves farmer’s plan to use migrant workers

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Wilkes-Barre attorney appointed to lead state Supreme Court board

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A man charged with threatening potential witnesses in his brother&#8217;s homicide investigation was sentenced Friday to time served.</p><p>Denny Mora, 32, of Hazleton, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/635303/sibling-of-rafael-mora-polanco-admits-to-threatening-witnesses" target="_blank">pleaded guilty to a count of criminal attempt of hindering prosecution</a> Feb. 16, about two weeks after a jury convicted his brother, Rafael Mora-Polanco, of first-degree murder. Before entering the plea, Denny Mora had been jailed since his arrest in June 2015.</p><p>Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas sentenced Mora to two to 24 months, but granted Mora immediate parole after giving him credit for 606 days time served, court records show.</p><p>Mora-Polanco, 28, of Hazleton, was sentenced to life in prison for the execution-style shooting of 35-year-old Jorge Marrero. Mora-Polanco shot Marrero a total of six times on June 11, 2015, in Hazleton, including four shots to the head after Marrero collapsed on West Fourth Street following a foot chase from an Alter Street apartment, the jury found.</p><p>During the course of the death investigation, police filed witness intimidation charges against Mora, his sister, Hilda Mora-Polanco, and another man, Ramon Cruz-Maldonado, for allegedly threatening potential witnesses with violence. Each has since pleaded guilty.</p><p>Hilda Mora-Polanco was sentenced to time served, while Cruz-Maldonado is set to be sentenced next month.</p><p>Mora posted on social media that &#8220;if anyone testifies against (Rafael Mora-Polanco), the Crips are going to get them,&#8221; prosecutors say. Hilda Mora-Polanco warned another witness a shotgun waited for anyone who took the stand against her brother, while Cruz-Maldonado allegedly showed the weapon to the witness moments later.</p><p><ins>For other local crime stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/crime" target="_blank">click here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Time served sentence for killer’s brother in witness intimidation case